165 replies to this topic

[HistoryFan]

After the idea of Formula E was presented, many thought about another short-lived racing series like many others before.

 

For example A1GP. I liked the idea of a nations cup, and we had strong drivers and some exotic ones. A nice field I think.

Or GP Masters - with former F1 drivers driving Formula cars again.

Or Superleague Formula - nice cars, but the idea to combine football and Racing together was a bad idea.

 

Any other short-lived racing series, perhaps with good ideas behind?

[SenorSjon]

Well, if you see WSR and the current V8 thing as seperate entities, I don't expect it to survive much longer. 

[Collombin]

The Intercontinental formula didn't last long.

[Henri Greuter]

Group C accoring Bernie Ecclestone's preferences: the 3.5 atmos's introduced in 1991 to replace the old style fuel restricted formula.

But that was intentional to happen to see sportscars racing disappear as quick as possible to the benefit of F1..... 

 

Henri

[ensign14]

I can't remember now, but didn't the Group C entrants also shoot themselves in the foot?  I seem to remember a FOCA-esque organization called OSCAR that called for shorter races and a higher profile.

Dominic Chappell of BHS infame had some sort of interactive sportscar series that lasted 1 race. 

 

There was a mooted GT series for things like Corvettes in sports teams colours (they might have invented the teams for the series, give them fake geographical locations), but that did not get beyond paint schemes. 

[7MGTEsup]

The single make XJR-15 series that lasted 3 races.

[messy]

Always remember Masters GP, it seemed like such a brilliant idea too. Mansell, Fittipaldi, Jones and co in decently quick cars on some grreat circuits (and Losail), live televised races, what could go wrong?

 

A lot, as it turned out.

[chunder27]

Group S, never even started!

 

Pro Car

 

Rouses V8 tin top series

 

V8 Eurocars were a step too far.

 

Zip Formula

 

A1GP I think is a little harsh as it was good while it lasted! For a lot of fans, logistically very dear though!

[ensign14]

Tom Wheatcroft's Rocket formula, cars designed by Gordon Murray to look like shrunken 250Fs.  Did they ever race at all?

[Graveltrappen]

Was there not a series called Premier1 at one point?

[noikeee]

FIA Formula 2, the Williams/Palmer edition.

[Grayson]

Was there not a series called Premier1 at one point?

 

Almost - it was planned, then delayed, then cancelled.

 

The idea came back as the short-lived (it lasted for three seasons) Superleague Formula a few years later. I'm not sure how much of a link there was between the two - whether it was a revived Premier 1 or whether it was just the same idea!

[Rob29]

The Intercontinental formula didn't last long.

This must have been the shortest FIA championship? Only two scheduled founds took place + the Indy 500 which was not for the formula any more than it was for F1  or F2 the previous 11 years

[Victor_RO]

Well, if you see WSR and the current V8 thing as seperate entities, I don't expect it to survive much longer. 

 

I wouldn't rush to that conclusion yet, it got picked up by WEC as a support/feeder series and, if I remember the announcement correctly, the prize drive for the champion from 2017 onwards is a test day in a factory LMP1 car.

[balmybaldwin]

Group B Rally.

 

In some ways a victim of its success.  at the time the odd driver death would have been not OK but tolerated in isolation as they were in F1, but the huge crowds and the potential (and actual) disasters were clear to see

 

[BRG]

Tom Wheatcroft's Rocket formula, cars designed by Gordon Murray to look like shrunken 250Fs.  Did they ever race at all?

I think they managed one race before the whole thing imploded.  Or rather exploded, as the Holbay engines were most unreliable.  See http://forums.autosp...ft-period-cars/ for more.

 

There was Formula Talbot, invented by John Webb of Brands Hatch, that used methanol fueled cars using Talbot engines.  That died pretty fast too.

Edited by BRG, 12 October 2016 - 16:55.

[PayasYouRace]

Has AutoGP died yet?

 

Looking over many of these you could say that if a series can survive beyond it's 4th season then it's likely to be around for a long time.

 

A1GP, Superleague, the new F2, all lasted four. Many mentioned above didn't even last that long.

 

Also you could argue that the Champ Car World Series (after CART collapsed) lasted from just 2004-2007.

[NewMrMe]

When the DTM expanded globally in the 1990s and rebranded itself the ITCC (International Touring Car Championship). It lasted 2 seasons before the whole series collapsed. The DTM was recreated again as a German national championship in 2000.

[Dr. Austin]

I think the saddest loss was formula 5000. In the US is was almost a road racing equivalent of Indycar, and even featured some Indycar stars. If it could have continued we may have averted the Indycar war that destroyed the whole scene.

 

CanAm was another sad loss, but with having next to no rules it, was easy to see that get escalated into extinction.

[PhantomRaspberryBlower]

The single make XJR-15 series that lasted 3 races.

 

There were only ever meant to be 3 races that year, and I never heard at the time that there were plans to continue the series the following year...

[Fastcake]

As a whole category, Formula BMW had a rather brief existence. They tried to set it up nationally in the mid-2000s, then the financial crisis hit and the whole thing just vanished overnight.

 

Has AutoGP died yet?

 

 

AutoGP used to be European Formula 3000, so the series actually goes back to the last century!

 

Incidentally, that was also the last time the series was remotely relevant.

[blackhand2010]

The best forgotten Speedcar.

Interesting in concept (NASCAR style cars on F1 tracks driven by veterans) but if I recall, the cars seemed to be F1 fragile, rather than NASCAR robust, so the racing was less than stellar.

[Disgrace]

I liked A1GP actually. RIP.

[PayasYouRace]

I liked A1GP actually. RIP.

 

Me too. I liked how it went to some very non-F1 locations.

[LeClerc]

V8Star. 

 

Tubular framed Roush-V8 powered with a silhouette chassis. Racing mainly in Gerrmany. Early 2000' , lasted about 3 years. 

 

Was actually great fun, and great sound.

[blackhand2010]

Oh yeah, and there was Formula Superfund as well which lasted until a major testing accident. It would have fitted at GP2 level.

[ensign14]

I think the saddest loss was formula 5000. In the US is was almost a road racing equivalent of Indycar, and even featured some Indycar stars. If it could have continued we may have averted the Indycar war that destroyed the whole scene.

 

As an aside to that, didn't USAC have a separate road racing championship that lasted about one race circa 1972?

 

And this is the NASCARy thing I was thinking of - TRAC.  Optimistically counting down to a race in Spring 2004...

[noikeee]

Me too. I liked how it went to some very non-F1 locations.

Durban street circuit! That course was awesome.

 

A1GP was really good at the beginning, but I think it started going downhill when they switched cars. Well the not-so-solid financial backing behind it didn't help neither.

[johnmhinds]

The single make XJR-15 series that lasted 3 races.

 

https://en.wikipedia...ki/Fast_Masters

 

And Jaguar repeated that mistake 2 years later when it was involved with the Fast Masters series.

 

All the drivers had to be over 50 years old and all drove $750,000 XJ220s.

 

What could go wrong right....

 

Edited by johnmhinds, 13 October 2016 - 10:49.

[HeadFirst]

The Can-Am Series (1966-74) was one of the racing series I grew up on. It burned brightly for a few years, but ultimately was a victim of rising costs. There were several attempts to revive the series under different formulae, but IMHO none matched the success of the original.

Edited by HeadFirst, 12 October 2016 - 22:02.

[Dr. Austin]

As an aside to that, didn't USAC have a separate road racing championship that lasted about one race circa 1972?

 

 

 

Yes, but I think it was a sub championship within the championship trail.  I think it was two heat races at Donnybrooke (but my memory is hazy on that part). I can't believe i remember this, but the champion was Scooter Patrick.

Edited by Dr. Austin, 12 October 2016 - 22:21.

[Dr. Austin]

As an aside to that, didn't USAC have a separate road racing championship that lasted about one race circa 1972?

 

And this is the NASCARy thing I was thinking of - TRAC.  Optimistically counting down to a race in Spring 2004...

 

USAC actually had a sportscar championship, and a stock car championship too.

 

http://racing-refere...aceyear/1970/UO

 

 

All the detailsof the Indycar road racing championship are hidden somewhere. I've been looking and can't find anything. I do remember the one year they had a single road race and that was their road racing championship. I just can't find it. 

[maximilian]

Soon:  Formula Thunder 5000

[InSearchOfThe]

BMW M1 Procar Championship

 

[MattPete]

I think the saddest loss was formula 5000. In the US is was almost a road racing equivalent of Indycar, and even featured some Indycar stars. If it could have continued we may have averted the Indycar war that destroyed the whole scene.

 

I always thought of CART (and ironically, the current iteration of the IRL) as the spiritual merger of F5000 and Indycar..

[mistareno]

Soon:  Formula Thunder 5000

 

Short lived...not stillborn...

[Dr. Austin]

I always thought of CART (and ironically, the current iteration of the IRL) as the spiritual merger of F5000 and Indycar..

 

You may have something there.That, and some of the CanAm teams like VDS and Hall came onboard too. Haas was in CanAm and brought Newman with him to CART. It all sort of came together at the right time.

[Rob]

The resurrected British F3000 championship lasted one race before being shut down. There were three cars on the grid for that race. IIRC Dino Morelli was one of them but that's about all I can remember.

[Amphicar]

The BRDC's version of Formula 4 didn't last very long - nor did the BMW County Championship - 13 dealerships ran identical BMW 323i's prepared by Tom Walkinshaw Racing.in support races to the Aurora British F1 series in 1999 and 1980.  (come to think of it, the Aurora Series only lasted for those two years too)

[chunder27]

I think in all honesty you could probably have a list of hundreds of series the world over that didn't last!  My faves are the ones that their backers shouted from the rooftops about and had massive money invested in but still failed!  Sorry but that makes me chuckle.

 

Unrelated to that fact, remember Formula Forward?  Wasn't it supposed to be a revamped FF2000?

 

Formula Woman!!  Can you believe in our generation that was even allowed!

 

Euro 2000 in rallycross, great idea but in a sport that small, impossible to achieve. And believe if you have spent as long in short oval racing as I have, you have seen or heard of endless series that have failed!

[SenorSjon]

I liked A1GP actually. RIP.

 

I never got around towards the nations thing. Especially when team Switserland had a Dutch front wing and a German rear wing for example (I don't know if that actually happened, but near the end the teams swapped parts around).

 

But any Dutch series has a lifespan of 3-4 years and then you have a new class with the same drivers.

[Bleu]

When original DTM went truly international, that ended quickly. 1995 season had two different series (DTM/ITC) with same drivers, but in 1996 only ITC which had six races in Germany and seven elsewhere, including two overseas (Brazil and Japan). Two of the three manufacturers left the series so the series was disbanded.

[HistoryFan]

I think the saddest loss was formula 5000. In the US is was almost a road racing equivalent of Indycar, and even featured some Indycar stars. If it could have continued we may have averted the Indycar war that destroyed the whole scene.

 

CanAm was another sad loss, but with having next to no rules it, was easy to see that get escalated into extinction.

why was Formula 5000 dying?

[427MkIV]

Gordon Kirby writes about F5000, its demise and what could have been

 

The fact that series and Can Am died when I was 7-8 years old makes me want to be sure to take my young son to some races while they still exist, and maybe he'll remember them when he's an old guy like me.

Edited by 427MkIV, 18 October 2016 - 13:09.

[JG]

BPR Race series

ProCar (That Alfa Romeo!)

[chunder27]

Does anyone know where that car ever ended up?

[Amphicar]

Does anyone know where that car ever ended up?

I believe it is in the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo in Arese (Milan): https://www.museoalf...ttosecondo.aspx

 

 

The museum was closed by the Fiat suits in 2011 but was reopened last year. However, not all the collection is on public display so best to check before making a special journey.

 

 

The car was also displayed (but sadly not driven) during the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed as part of Alfa's centenary celebrations:

 

 

Edited by Amphicar, 18 October 2016 - 20:46.

[Dolph]

BPR Race series

 

 

That was a nice series until FIA ruined it.

[chr1s]

I seem to remember a "Formula first" in the early 90s with cars that used Ford CVH engines, i don't think it lasted long.

 

There was also the short lived Shell sports Group 8 championship in the mid 70s and then the British Formula One series which fizzled out in the early 1980s.

[Mekola]

I recall Formula Superfund that was a stillborn series in early 2005, never came to fruition.

 

Formula Masters was also short-lived. They lasted from 2007 to 2009. Best star from there

was a certain Jérôme D'Ambrosio, now in Formula E.

 

Also I remember a formula series in 2001, that could remember the name...

I think Ricardo van der Ende was the champion.

But have very little info about that series.